Convicted West Sacramento murderer denied parole

A West Sacramento convicted murderer was denied parole for the ninth time Tuesday.

According to the Yolo County District Attorney's Office, convicted murderer Kenneth Roy Stark, was denied parole for the ninth time by a two-commissioner panel of the Board of Parole Hearings. In June of 1985, Stark brutally murdered his friend, Ronald Meyers, by beating him with a tire iron and then left his body in the Yolo Causeway. A Yolo County jury convicted Stark of second degree murder on May 16, 1986. He was sentenced to 15 years-to-life in state prison.

Commissioners Arthur Anderson and Steve Mahoney determined that Stark, now 60 years old, still posed an unreasonable risk to public safety should he be released from prison, reported the DA's Office. The commissioners determined that a five-year denial was appropriate at the present time. The commissioners noted that the statements provided by Stark at the hearing were deceptive and misleading.

Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto submitted a letter of opposition to the inmate's release. Prieto wrote, "Stark poses a threat to any community should he be released from prison and the only way to protect society from his unpredictable violent behavior is to keep him incarcerated."

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig stated that he is proud of the efforts of his Lifer Parole Division.

"The loss to the family in these cases is both unimaginable and immeasurable," he said. "We continue to do everything we can to support the Meyers family and all of the families on our lifer cases – that's the very least we can do for all families who have survived similar tragedies."